Unrequited Love
by SoftRogue
Summary: Can two people, both denied the ones they love, find happiness together? (Shoujo-Ai)


Unrequited Love  
  
Chapter 1  
  
a Sailor Moon Fanfic  
  
by SoftRogue whiteb100@hotmail.com   
  
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon is the property  
  
of Naoko Takeuchi  
  
***********  
  
The soft swishing sound of a broom was the only noise to be heard in the crisp early January air. The wielder of said broom paused in her task and looked around with a satisfied sigh before returning to the task of sweeping the last remaining snow from the courtyard of the only place she would ever consider as home. While there were many who would regard the chore of sweeping the many walkways, paths and steps of the Hikawa Shrine as tedious and boring; she had always found the twice-daily task as soothing and a time for reflection.  
  
With a last, satisfying motion; she brushed the last of the snow from the courtyard and looked around to make sure that she hadn't missed anything. Seeing that her task was finally complete, Rei ran a hand through her long dark hair as she contemplated on what the day would bring. With a slight feeling of regret, she knew what the day wouldn't bring; no impromptu study sessions, no wonderful baked goods, none of the latest gossip about the newest idols, and; with a slight sting in her heart; no grubby fingerprints on her newest manga.  
  
Sighing wistfully, she walks towards the storage shed to put away the broom; only the soft sound of her robes on the walkway to accompany her; as she remembers the last few years. After the defeat of Galaxia, everything had settled back into a routine. No major threat loomed on the horizon, no evil from the past or future or even the deepest regions of space to interfere with the lives of five 'normal' teenage girls. Oh sure, there were the occasional supernatural creature or hold over from one of the many foes they had defeated; but they were few and far between.  
  
Those last two years of high school had past with little fanfare, the only major crises being trying to make sure a certain Odango haired blonde didn't have to repeat a grade. With a little luck, a lot of study sessions, and many a prayer; the five of them all graduated high school at the same time (although some with better grades than others); and that was when things began to slowly change.  
  
It started with Ami. The gentle, soft-spoken blue haired girl had been accepted to Todai; and while she ever said it aloud, you could see the excitement shining in her eyes. While she did room at the school, she always made it a point to visit once a week; more for her own sake than ours. Makoto started attending a Culinary Arts school while working part time in a local restaurant as a pastry chef; the demand on her time from both keeping her away most of the time. Minako had begun scouring the Tokyo area with stars in her eyes, looking for her big break; singing anywhere that would let in her effort to become the next big idol singer. Then there was Usagi who, after much prompting from many people, had reluctantly had taken an assistants position at her fathers' work. For her part, Rei had begun working full time at the shrine and had slowly begun to take over some of the duties of Head Priest from her old, yet surprising spry, grandfather.  
  
Arriving at the storage shed, a small frown creased Rei's face as she remembered what happened less than a year ago that shattered the already precarious harmony of their group. It had all started with a seemingly innocent letter delivered to a certain penthouse that had somehow ended up in the hands of a beautiful blonde girl. Ever since Rei had met Ami, it was plain to see that the blue haired girl had wanted to follow in the footsteps of her mother and become a Doctor; and with her talents, she could have attended any school she desired. In fact, Rei remembered clearly back in their high school days when Ami had received a letter from a prodigious University in Germany that had offered her a full scholarship; and with her grades she could have easly finished high school that year and attended.  
  
However, as with all of the Senshi, Duty to the Princess came before everything else; and no matter how much she had wanted to go, there was no way she could bring herself to abandon Usagi. The University, though, had continued to send the invitation to Ami over the next few years; and it was during the third semester of her freshman year at Todai that she had received another letter from them; a letter that Usagi had somehow found. Once she had read the letter, the blonde girl who they all had dedicated their lives to had insisted that Ami take the University up on their offer.   
  
'Follow your heart.' she had said to Ami, 'Follow your dreams.'  
  
After much soul searching, the blue haired genius had approached each of the other girls for advice. All three of them had each in their own way told Ami that she should accept the offer and eventually made her decision.  
  
Once Ami had announced that she would go to Germany, it was as if the damn broke. Within weeks of the congratulatory party for an extremely embarrassed girl, more changes began to happen. A renowned food critic had decided to try the simple fair at the restaurant Makoto worked at and, after have one taste of the dessert he had ordered, insisted on meeting the person who had made it. Upon finding that the creator of the delicious pastry was a girl barely out of her teens with hardly any formal training, he was flabbergasted. Much to the tall brunette's surprise, the critic had said that it was a travesty that someone with such talent wasn't where her skills would be truly recognized and called in several favors and secured a place for her in a world famous Culinary Arts school...in France.  
  
'Follow your heart.' Usagi had told Makoto, 'Follow your dreams.'  
  
About the same time, Minako's persistence had begun to pay off. A talent agent for a major recording studio had seen the blonde perform at the wedding reception and had recognized a star when she saw one. However, what she had seen was not another possible Idol Singer; but something much, much more. In a surprisingly short amount of time, Minako was presented with the offer of a lifetime. The chance to become an International Superstar. The recording studio wanted to use Minako's natural talent and command of the English language to promote her throughout Asia and the Pacific.  
  
'Follow your heart.' Usagi said to Minako, 'Follow your dreams.'  
  
By the time August had rolled around, five had become two. Ami was in Germany preparing to start her classes; Makoto was in France doing the same; and Minako, well Rei couldn't say for sure where the blonde was at any given moment since she was on a whirlwind tour promoting herself. But the biggest change was yet to come.  
  
With a year left in his degree, Mamoru had reluctantly decided to return to New York to finish his schooling. With all the changes going on, only hindsight showed how...calm Usagi had accepted it. With all the heartache and torment the blonde had gone through every other time her future husband had left Japan, everyone should have expected Usagi to throw a fit. Yet with all the preparation going on to see the others off, no one noticed how accepting she was...that is until that day in early August.  
  
It was two days after Mamoru had left when Rei had awoken in the middle of the night feeling as if her heart had been ripped from her chest. Unable to identify the reason for the strange sense of loss, the priestess made her way to the sacred fire to search for answers. She didn't even make it the shrine when Luna literally burst through the doors in a panic. Moments later, Sailor Mars practically flew from her home with one thought searing her soul.  
  
Usagi was missing.  
  
Rei remembered little that night as she sped through the night; scouring the city streets for the one person who was more important to her that life itself. Like a demon possessed, the Senshi of Fire tore through everything as she searched high and low for her missing princess; her thoughts filled with dread as time and time again she came up empty. Eventually, Luna had caught up with her at daybreak and the two made there way to the Tsukino residence to talk to Usagi's parents.  
  
There, Rei had told the Tsukino's that she had a strange premonition about their daughter, which confused them since Usagi had told them that she was spending the night at the Shrine. After convincing them that no, she hadn't seen Usagi since the day before, another round of frantic searching ensued. Later that night, an exhausted Rei returned to the Shrine; her heart heavy with worry and no clues to the whereabouts of Usagi. That's when her Grandpa gave her the 'letter'.  
  
Rei had blinked at it in confusion as she stared at it for a moment, easly recognizing Usagi's handwriting. Finally, her brain caught up with her and she tore it open. She had to read it twice before the realization of what her princess had wrote sank in. With a heart-wrenching cry of pain and anguish, the letter slipped from numb fingers as the priestess collapsed to the floor and sobbed.  
  
It was two days later before Rei was able to compose herself into some semblance of normalcy; and even then, she had to go to the Tsukino residence and read the letter again to confirm the truth. Usagi was gone. She hadn't been spirited away by some malignant force or had traveled to some unknown location to face some evil by herself; no, she had gone to New York.  
  
Even now, Rei was surprised that Usagi had been able to keep anyone; especially the ever vigilant Luna; from discovering her plans. Somehow, she had managed to save enough money to by a plane ticket and pack her luggage without raising suspicion. Usagi had decided to follow the advice she had given the others and followed her heart and her dreams and went to New York to be with Mamoru; much to his surprise.  
  
Eventually, everything worked out. Seeing that she was already in New York, Usagi's parents had grudgingly accepted their daughters' decision; after her father promised to do many painful things to Mamoru if he did anything improper to Usagi.  
  
To this day, Rei was thankful that her grandfather had gone over to the Tsukino's with the letter then came back to the Shrine to care for his stricken granddaughter. Never once had he asked why she had acted like she did during those two horrible days. Because if he had, she would have had to tell him the truth...the truth that she had never dared to speak.  
  
She loved Usagi.  
  
Not like she loved the others as friends and 'sisters'. Nor as loyal servant loved her princess. No, she loved Usagi with a fiery passion that burned hotter than the sun itself. From the moment she had laid eyes on the blonde girl all those years ago, Rei had wanted nothing more that to spend the rest of her life within her arms.  
  
It was a secret she had locked deep within her heart, never telling a soul. She had hid the truth behind harsh and mocking words; never having the courage to speak what she longed to confess. Playing the part of the boy-crazy girl and criticizing everything about her that drew Rei to Usagi like a moth to a flame was the only way she could prevent those three words she longed to utter. Like that American movie, every time she said 'Odango Atama' what she really meant was 'I love you'.  
  
At first, it was fear that kept her from confessing her feelings; the fear of driving the object of her desire away forever. Unfortunately, by the time Rei had mustered enough courage to tell Usagi the truth; it was too late...HE was in her life. At first, Rei wanted to hate Mamoru; but she couldn't. How could she? He loved Usagi as much as she did; and Usagi loved him...not her.  
  
With a bitter sigh, Rei remembered the last sentence of that letter...  
  
'Follow your heart. Follow your dreams.'  
  
'How can I follow heart when it's half a world away and my dreams are here?'   
  
Returning the broom to the storage shed, Rei looked around the Shrine and smiled softly. While growing up, she had had a few fantasies about becoming a singer like Minako or perhaps a model; but that's all they were, fantasies. As long as she could remember, she had always wanted to follow in the footsteps of her Grandpa and serve the Sacred Fire of the Hikawa Shrine; as generations of Hino's have done before.  
  
Making her way back to the front of the Shrine, Rei was surprised when she saw someone standing underneath the Torii. Curious as to who would visit so early in the morning, the priestess moved forward to greet the visitor. The person, obviously female, was wearing dark, somber cloths as she slowly looked around the courtyard; an air of depression lying thick around her.  
  
"Welcome to the Hikawa Shrine, my name is Hino Rei. Is there anything I can help you with?" Rei greeted politely when she got within speaking distance.  
  
The girl looked in the priestess's direction and Rei stifled a startled gasp. She recognized the girl as Tomoe Hotaru; but it wasn't the identity of the girl that surprised her, it was her expression. The sixteen year old teenager didn't seem to recognize where she was as she glanced at Rei; seeming to look right through the older woman.  
  
"Hotaru-chan? Are you alright?" Rei asked with concern, moving forward and placing a hand on her shoulder.  
  
The teenager slowly blinked and her eyes focused on the priestess. "Oh...Rei-san...did I bother you?" she asked listlessly.  
  
Taking her arm, Rei pulled Hotaru along towards the Shrine. "Come on, Hotaru-chan. Let's go inside. It's cold out here." she said, worry evident in her voice.  
  
When the two girls stepped up onto the porch, Hotaru gently pull away from Rei and moved over to lean against the railing. "I like the winter," the violet eyed girl said softly as she looked across the courtyard, "it's so clean...so pure; yet filled with hope..."  
  
Rei moved to stand next to the young girl and watched her closely, her disquiet growing. Listing carefully, she barely heard a soft, choked sob.  
  
"...just like her..." Hotaru whispered quietly.  
  
"Hotaru-chan?" Rei softly said, startling the younger girl.  
  
"Oh! Rei-san, I'm sorry." Hotaru apologized, turning to the side and rubbing her eyes. "I...really should get going..."  
  
"Wait Hotaru-chan." the priestess put a hand on the younger girls shoulder. "If there's anything you want to talk about..."  
  
Slowly, Hotaru turned and looked up into the priestess's eyes. Rei was surprised to see the depth of pain and sadness in those violet eyes; pain and sadness she had seen reflected in her own mirror. Hotaru suddenly moved forward and hugged the taller girl tightly as choked sobs wracked her small frame.  
  
"She...she's been gone for so long..." Hotaru cried as she held onto Rei, "...she's gone and she's never coming back and I miss her and I was never able to tell her...tell her that I...that I..."  
  
"Hush. It's ok, Hotaru-chan. It's all right." Rei said in soothing tones as she stroked the girl's hair; wondering the entire time who she was talking about.  
  
"Oh, Chibi-usa..." Hotaru wailed with heart wrenching pain.  
  
Rei's hand froze for a moment as her body stiffened. 'She's just like me.' she thought to her self. 'She's fallen in love with the one person she could never have.'  
  
With a sigh of resignation, Rei relaxed and wrapped Hotaru in a tight embrace. "Come, Hotaru-chan. Let's get out of the cold."  
  
***********  
  
To Be Continued...  
  
Author's Notes...  
  
That's right, I've started another Sailor Moon shoujo-ai  
  
fic. This time, I'm matching up another unusual pair of Senshi;  
  
this time, Hotaru and Rei.  
  
Don't worry, I'm still working on AMoM and will have another  
  
chapter out shortly.  
  
This fic and others can be found at my FF.Net account, which is  
  
www.fanfiction.net/profile.php?userid=266642  
  
12/24/03 


End file.
